"What are you so happy about?" Seraphina stormed over, clearly upset. "If you hadn't shown up today, I could've been in serious trouble."
Zachary's anger flared even more at the thought. He issued a stern warning to the two men, "If you ever mess with my people again, you better hope there's no next time, or you'll be bedridden for life."
The two men, terrified by Zachary's menacing glare, started begging for mercy, "We were wrong, please forgive us this time."
Zachary stood up, pulled out his phone, and made a call. Then he turned to Seraphina, "Go wait for me in the car."
About ten minutes later, the police arrived and arrested the two men.
Zachary then took the still-shaken Seraphina to the restaurant they had planned to go to.
On the way, Zachary reassured Seraphina that he would handle the situation and insisted that she have a bodyguard from now on, someone he would personally assign to protect her.
Seraphina was worried about using up resources, but Zachary patiently reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. Your safety is my top priority."
Meanwhile, Ace was at home waiting for good news when the police suddenly burst in. Initially confused, he only realized what had happened when he was at the police station and learned that the two men he had sent had ratted him out.
He tried to deny everything, arrogantly thinking no one could convict him. However, when the clear recordings of his conversations at the bar and other incriminating evidence were presented to him, he was stunned. These pieces of evidence, which he thought were either nonexistent or well-hidden, caught him completely off guard.
In fact, Zachary's team had been investigating the matter. They not only had evidence of Ace's attempt to kidnap Seraphina but also uncovered his years of embezzlement and other shady dealings. They quickly exposed all his dirty secrets.
Ace couldn't fathom who could be so powerful. Filled with regret, he realized he had underestimated Seraphina and the people backing her. He was likely going to spend the rest of his life in prison.
The police gathered all the evidence against him and his accomplices in just one afternoon.
At the restaurant, although Seraphina was safe, her mood was still affected.
Zachary, while serving her food, gently said, "Don't think about those unpleasant things. In a few days, I'll introduce you to some of my good friends and their families. They're all very nice."
Hearing this, Seraphina's eyes lit up with anticipation. Zachary then started telling her about how he formed those relationships, and Seraphina listened intently, temporarily forgetting the earlier distress.
That evening, Seraphina told Niamh about what happened with Ace.
Niamh immediately provided the police with the evidence she had against Ace, saying angrily, "People like him should be locked up forever."
Xander also called the police, sternly demanding a thorough investigation and no leniency.
Finally, Monday arrived, the day Nova was to report to the translation department.
After receiving the notification last Friday, she was so excited that she couldn't sleep for two nights. She got up early at 6:30 AM, dressed in a black professional suit, and applied light makeup. She arrived at a stately building in the city center, where the translation department was located on the third floor.
The building looked ordinary from the outside, especially among the surrounding tall, luxurious buildings. But inside, security was tight, with identity checks at every checkpoint. She had received a notification from the translation department with a code that served as her ID.
After reaching the third floor, she went to the HR office, filled out forms, recorded a video, and had her fingerprints taken. With her work ID in hand, she arrived at the department's meeting room. Inside, four interns were already seated—two men and two women.
Everyone curiously eyed Nova, knowing she had gotten in through connections.
A girl with a sarcastic tone spoke up, "So, this is the special intern."
Everyone then introduced themselves: Pax, Quinton, Juliet, and Helena. Except for Quinton and a chubby guy, the others didn't look too friendly. After all, one more intern meant one more competitor, and the atmosphere of competition quietly spread.
Soon, another man and woman entered. The woman, Sophia Brown, exuded arrogance. Her strong background made her confident she had the best chance of staying. Her arrival sparked whispers and envious glances from the other girls.
Sophia glared at Nova with disdain and bluntly accused, "You cut in line to get in here, didn't you? That's so unfair."
The others also cast unfriendly looks at Nova.
Sophia continued to mock, "How can you have the nerve to stay here after getting in through connections? You should just leave on your own to avoid embarrassment."
Nova remained calm and responded, "If I don't have the skills, I'll leave on my own. You don't need to worry about it."
Quinton, unable to stand it, spoke up for Nova, only to be snapped at by Sophia, "Who do you think you are, meddling in other people's business?"
Pax also joined in, advising Nova, "You should just quit while you're ahead and save yourself the trouble."
Nova didn't back down, her expression resolute.
Sophia sneered, "You must have some strong connections. But you're just the daughter of an ordinary diplomat. I don't see what qualifies you to be here."
Nova was momentarily taken aback.
At that moment, Blair walked in. She had an exceptional presence, exuding confidence and competence.
After sitting down, Blair's gaze swept over each intern, lingering on Nova for a few seconds before she began, "This year, we'll only keep three people. I hope everyone performs well and strives to stay."
Sophia and the others quickly expressed their eagerness to work with her. Blair responded coolly, saying it would depend on their performance. She specifically mentioned Nova, "Although Nova joined a bit later, I believe in her abilities."
Blair, however, was internally pondering Nova's connection to Aiden.
After the meeting, Blair called Nova into the hallway.
Looking at Nova warmly, Blair explained that she had gotten drunk while chatting with Aiden last time and casually inquired about the dinner Aiden had with Nova.
Following Aiden's instructions, Nova explained, "Aiden and I don't have any special relationship. We just happened to meet. I was looking for Mrs. Lopez, didn't find her, and ran into him, so we had dinner together."
Blair, hearing Nova's flawless explanation, thought Aiden's actions were as she suspected. But then she wondered, with Aiden's unpredictable ways, would he really have dinner with someone he had no connection with?
Nova, wanting to end the questioning, said she needed to go back and review some materials. Blair patted her shoulder and reminded her, "Don't tell anyone you were introduced by Aiden."
Nova blushed slightly and then returned to the meeting room.
Blair watched Nova's retreating figure, her gaze growing colder. She sensed that Nova was deliberately distancing herself from Aiden, wondering if Aiden had coached her to say that.
The more Blair thought about it, the more it pained her. She felt that the more she probed, the more she uncovered things that hurt her, increasingly convinced that Aiden was protecting Nova.
Nova returned to the meeting room and sat at the far end, trying to remain inconspicuous. However, Sophia wasn't about to let her off. Ignoring the materials, she arrogantly asked Nova, "Who exactly did you use to get in here?"